quite the generational gap that the romney campaign hopes to overcome by having ryan practice with 72-year-old olson. we're beginning to ron mott, and he's traveling with congressman ryan in florida. what kind of scoop did you get to the strategy? >> reporter: good day to you. paul ryan came down here to st. petersburg, but he's holed up in a hotel getting ready for the biggest 90-minute stretch of his political life on thursday night against vice president biden. both sides have played the lower expectations game. the romney/ryan team has said for weeks joe biden is one of the best debaters in washington, 40 years on the hill. obviously, he knows key policy issues like the judiciary and foreign relations with his time in the senate. he's been preparing paul ryan with former u.s. solicitor-general ted olson. they're going through a mock debate session and policy briefings. tomorrow he goes up to danville, kentucky. he has been ready for this and trying to remain relaxed over the past few days. took his kids out to a pumpkin patch and some reporters asked about the debate. oh, yeah, i